Best of American Crime: Amateur and Private Detectives - Armchair General and HistoryNet >> The Best Forums in History Best of American Crime: Amateur and Private Detectives User Name You are currently viewing our forums as a GUEST. This allows you to read, but not participate in our discussions. This also prevents you from downloading attachments and seeing some of our specialized sub-forums. Registration is free and painless and requires absolutely no personal information other than a valid email address. You can register for our history forums here . [this reminder disappears once you are registered] Film, DVD, and TV Discuss the latest movies at the theatre and on DVD, as well as what is on TV. ACG film reviews will also be found here. View Poll Results: Best of American Crime: Amateur and Private Detectives Rockford Files Multiple Choice Poll. Voters: 29.

You may not vote on this poll Page 1 of 4 Location: The city on the river Posts: 16,516 Best of American Crime: Amateur and Private Detectives Once more, thanks to Crackshot for letting me replace his Best of American Crime thread with a more detailed three part poll: private detectives, Cops, and Criminals As before, impossible to list all the American private and amateur detective shows, so have reduced to the list to the most well-known and those with healthiest TV runs. Stacey Keach's Mike Hammer, for instance, wasn't all that bad, but managed to be cancelled three times. Feel free to write in your own suggestions. Quote: Rockford Files The Rockford Files was an American television drama series which aired on the NBC network between September 13, 1974 and January 10, 1980. It has remained in regular syndication to the present day. The show starred James Garner as Los Angeles-based private investigator Jim Rockford and featured Noah Beery, Jr. as his father, a retired truck driver. Premise: The TV character Maverick as a modern detective.

Rockford had served time in California's San Quentin prison in the 1960s due to a wrongful conviction. After five years, he received a pardon. His infrequent jobs as a private investigator barely allow him to maintain his dilapidated mobile home(which doubles as his office) in a parking lot on the beaches of Malibu, California. Tags: Fear of guns, lives in mobile home, car chases Quote: Magnum PI Magnum, P.I. was an American television series starring Tom Selleck as Thomas Magnum, a private investigator living on Oahu, Hawaii. The series ran from 1980 to 1988 and consistently ranked in the top twenty U.S. television programs during the first five years that the series was originally broadcast. Premise: Private Investigator Thomas Sullivan Magnum resides in the guest house of a posh, 200-acre beachfront estate, known as Robin's Nest, in Hawaii, at the invitation of its owner, Robin Masters, the celebrated-but-never-seen author of several dozen lurid novels.

Tags: Mustache, Dobermans, Red Ferrari Quote: Banacek Banacek was an American detective TV series starring George Peppard that aired on the NBC network from 1972 to 1974. Premise: Peppard played Thomas Banacek, a suave, Polish-American freelance investigator based in Boston, who solved seemingly impossible thefts. He then collected from the insurance companies 10% of the insured value of the recovered property. Tags: Suave, sophisticated, Polish proverbs Quote: Barnaby Jones (a Quin Martin production!) Barnaby Jones was a television detective series starring Buddy Ebsen and Lee Meriwether which ran on CBS from January 28, 1973 to April 3, 1980. Premise: After Barnaby Jones (Buddy Ebsen) had worked as a private eye for many years, he decided to retire and left the business to his son Hal. When Hal was murdered while working on a case, Barnaby came out of retirement to find the killer. His widowed daughter-in-law, Betty Jones (Lee Meriwether) joined forces with him to solve the case.

Tags: Wholesome, drinks milk, fatherly Quote: Cannon Cannon was a CBS detective television series produced by Quinn Martin which aired from March 26, 1971 to March 3, 1976. The primary protagonist is the title character, private detective Frank Cannon, played by William Conrad. Premise: Frank Cannon was a detective with the LAPD. However, he resigned after the deaths of his wife and son in a car accident and later became a private detective. The series begins at the point where Cannon is just beginning this new career. Tags: Overweight, frequently beaten, shot or knocked unconscious Quote: Charlies Angels Charlies Angels was an American crime drama about three women who work for a private investigation agency running from 1976 to 1981 and originally starred Kate Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Jaclyn Smith. Premise: Three women, the Angels, graduated from the Los Angeles police academy only to be assigned such duties as handling switchboards and directing traffic. They quit and were hired to work for the Charles Townsend Agency as private investigators. Their boss, Charlie (voiced by John Forsythe), is never seen full face.

Tags: Jiggling, scant outfits,T&A Quote: Mannix Mannix was an American television detective series that ran from 1967 through 1975 on CBS. The title character, Joe Mannix, was a private investigator played by Mike Connors. Premise: Joe Mannix works for a large Los Angeles detective agency called Intertect, which uses computers to help solve crimes. As opposed to the other employees who must wear dark suits and sit in rows of desks, Mannix usually ignores the computers' solutions, disobeys his boss's orders and sets out to do things his own way. Tags: Plaid sport coats, Armenian,frequently knocked unconscious Quote: Monk Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series which starred Tony Shalhoub as the eponymous character, Adrian Monk from 2002 to 2009. Premise: Adrian Monk was a brilliant detective for the San Francisco Police Department until his wife, Trudy, was killed by a car bomb. Trudy's death led Monk to suffer a nervous breakdown and discharge from the police.

After living as a recluse for three years, he finally returns to work as a private detective, despite his obsessive-compulsive disorder and myriad of phobias. Tags: Fear of germs, ladybugs, harmonicas, milk.... Quote: Harry-O Harry O, sometimes spelled Harry-O, was an American crime drama series that aired for two seasons on ABC from 1974 to 1976 and starred David Janssen Premise: Janssen starred as the title character Harry Orwell, a San Diego cop forced into retirement when he is shot in the back. To support himself, he sets up a private investigation practice out of his beach house on Coronado Island, in San Diego. Tags: Beach front cottage, Farrah Fawcett as neighbor, rides the bus __________________ Gravity, where did it come from? - Ben Carson Last edited by Skoblin; 19 Mar 13 at 11:29.. Skoblin And the rest of the culprits...

Quote: Murder, She Wrote Murder, She Wrote was an American television mystery series starring Angela Lansbury as mystery writer and amateur detective Jessica Fletcher.The series aired for 12 seasons from 1984 to 1996 on the CBS network, with 264 episodes transmitted. Premise: Jessica Fletcher, a retired English teacher, becomes a very successful mystery writer after the death of her husband. Despite fame and fortune, she remains a resident of Cabot Cove, a cozy coastal town in Maine. Jessica invariably proves more perceptive than the official investigators, who are almost always willing to arrest the most likely suspect. By carefully piecing the clues together and asking astute questions, she always manages to trap the real murderer. Tags: constant meddling, tiny town with high murder rate Quote: Remington Steele Remington Steele is an American television series starring Stephanie Zimbalist and Pierce Brosnan from 1982 to 1987. The series blended the genres of romantic comedy, drama, and detective procedural. Remington Steele is best known for launching the career of Pierce Brosnan.

Premise: Laura Holt, a licensed private detective played by Stephanie Zimbalist, opens a detective agency under her own name but finds that potential clients refused to hire a woman, however qualified. To solve the problem, she invents a fictitious male superior whom she names Remington Steele. Through a series of events that unfold in the first episode, "License to Steele", Pierce Brosnan's character, a former thief and con man whose real name is never revealed, assumes the identity of Remington Steele. Behind the scenes, Laura remains firmly in charge. Tags: sexual tension, egos, sexual tension Quote: Simon and Simon Simon & Simon was an American detective television series that originally ran from November 24, 1981 to January 21, 1989 and starred Gerald McRaney and Jameson Parker as two brothers who run a private detective agency together. Premise: The show revolves around polar opposite Simon brothers, Rick (McRaney) and Andrew Jackson, a.k.a. A.J. (Parker). Rick was a United States Marine Corps Vietnam veteran and had much more street sense, while A.J. went to college and had book smarts.

The two go into business together, running a private detective service. Tags: arguments, squabbling, sibling rivalry. Quote: Peter Gunn Peter Gunn was an American private eye television series which aired on the NBC and later ABC television networks from 1958 to 1961. The show's creator was Blake Edwards. Premise: Peter Gunn is a well-dressed private investigator whose hair is always in place and who loves cool jazz. Where other gumshoes might be coarse, Peter Gunn is a sophisticate with expensive tastes. He operates in a nameless waterfront city, a regular patron of Mother's (a smoky wharfside jazz club) that he uses as his "office", often meeting clients there. Pete's standard fee is $1,000. Tags: jazz, Plymouth convertible, Henry Mancini Quote: Hart to Hart Hart to Hart was an American television series, starring Robert Wagner and Stefanie Powers as Jonathan and Jennifer Hart, a wealthy couple who moonlight as amateur detectives. The series ran from 1979 to 1984. Premise: Jonathan Hart (Robert Wagner) is a self-made millionaire and the CEO of Hart Industries, a Los Angeles-based global electronics conglomerate.

His wife Jennifer (Stefanie Powers) is a beautiful freelance journalist. Living the jetset lifestyle, the glamorous couple spent their free time as amateur detectives and in every episode they found themselves involved in cases of smuggling, theft, international espionage, or most commonly, murder. Tags: schlock, glitz, personalized license plates Quote: Spenser for Hire Spenser: For Hire was a mystery television series based on Robert B. Parker's Spenser novels running from 1985 to 1988, with Robert Ulrich playing the lead character. Premise: Spenser is a sophisticated down on his luck private investigator and former boxer, who reads poetry in his spare time and cooks while watching Julia Childs. Spenser used to be on the police force and occasionally goes to them for help, as they sometimes rely on him for help. Tags: Boston, boxing, Ford Mustangs Quote: Hawaiian Eye Hawaiian Eye was an American detective series that ran from October 1959 to September 1963.

Premise: Private investigator Tracey Steele (Anthony Eisley) and his half-Hawaiian partner, Tom Lopaka (Robert Conrad), own Hawaiian Eye, a combination detective agency and private security firm, located in Honolulu, Hawaii. Their principal client is the Hawaiian Village Hotel, which in exchange for security services, provides the agency with a luxurious private compound on the hotel grounds.

Tags: flower shirts, Connie Stevens, ukeleles __________________ Monk (TV series) Monk (TV series) Tony ShalhoubBitty Schram (seasons 1–3)Traylor Howard (seasons 3–8)Ted LevineJason Gray-Stanford Opening theme Instrumental theme by Jeff Beal (season 1) "It's a Jungle out There" by Randy Newman (seasons 2–8) Ending theme Instrumental theme by Jeff Beal (season 1) "It's a Jungle out There" (instrumental) (seasons 2–8) Country of origin 125 (List of episodes) Executive producer(s) Andy Breckman David Hoberman (entire run)Tony Shalhoub (seasons 4–8)Tom Scharpling (seasons 5–8)Rob Thompson (seasons 6–8) Camera setup 40–45 minutes without commercials, (approx.) 1 hour with commercials Production company(s) Touchstone Television Mandeville Films Universal Cable ProductionsUniversal Network Television (seasons 1–2)NBC Universal Television Studio (seasons 3–6)Universal Media Studios (seasons 7–8)

 Original channel July 12, 2002 – December 4, 2009 Status Edit Block Monk title card (seasons two through eight) Monk is an American comedy-drama detective mystery television series created by Andy Breckman and starring Tony Shalhoub as the title character, Adrian Monk.

It originally ran from 2002 to 2009 and is primarily a mystery series, although it has dark and comic touches.The series debuted on July 12, 2002 on USA Network. It was well received and is viewed as one of the reasons that led to USA Network's increasing popularity. Its eighth and final season concluded on December 4, 2009. The series currently holds the record for the most-watched scripted drama episode in cable television history, a record previously held by The Closer. Monk set the record with "Mr. Monk and the End – Part II", its series finale, with 9.4 million viewers; 3.2 million of them in the 18–49 demographic. Plot Edit Block Adrian Monk was a brilliant detective for the San Francisco Police Department until his wife, Trudy, was killed by a car bomb in a parking garage, which Monk then believed was intended for him. He later believes that Trudy's death was part of a larger conspiracy that she had uncovered during her time as a journalist. Trudy's death led Monk to suffer a nervous breakdown.

He was discharged from the force and became a recluse, refusing to leave his house for over three years. He is finally able to leave the house with the help of his nurse, Sharona Fleming (Bitty Schram). The breakthrough allows him to work as a private detective and a consultant for the homicide unit despite limitations rooted in his obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD), which had grown significantly worse after the tragedy. Monk's compulsive habits are numerous, and a number of phobias compound his situation, such as his fear of germs. Monk has 312 fears, some of which are milk, ladybugs, harmonicas, heights, imperfection, and risk. The OCD and plethora of phobias inevitably lead to very awkward situations and cause problems for Monk and anyone around him, as he investigates cases. These same personal struggles, particularly the OCD, are what aid him in solving cases, such as his sharp memory, specific mindset and attention to detail. In one episode entitled "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan", Marci Maven (Sarah Silverman) has compiled a list of all of Adrian's fears. On another episode, he tries to conquer his fears by doing various activities which involved his phobias.

For example, he tries drinking milk, climbing a ladder, and putting a ladybug on his hand, but when things are scattered unorganized across a table, he cannot resist the compulsion to arrange them neatly. Captain Leland Stottlemeyer (Ted Levine) and Lieutenant Randall "Randy" Disher (Jason Gray-Stanford) call on Monk when they have trouble with an investigation. Stottlemeyer is often irritated by Monk's behavior, but respects his friend and former colleague's amazing insight and observational abilities, as does Disher. Ever since childhood, Monk's obsessive attention to detail allowed him to spot tiny discrepancies, find patterns, and make connections that others often missed. Monk continues to search for information about his wife's death, the one case that he has been unable to solve, and eventually succeeds in the series finale. In the middle of season 3, Sharona decides to re-marry her ex-husband and move back to New Jersey, prompting Mr. Monk to hire Natalie Teeger (Traylor Howard) as his new assistant. Natalie is a widow and mother of an eleven-year-old daughter.

Monk has a brother Ambrose (John Turturro), and a half-brother, Jack, Jr. (Steve Zahn), who Monk never knew about until the fifth season. He later meets Jack, Jr. in season seven, in the episode "Mr. Monk's Other Brother". Characters Jason Gray-Stanford, Traylor Howard and Tony Shalhoub sign autographs at Edwards Air Force Base after the filming of the season 4 episode "Mr. Monk and the Astronaut". Main characters Adrian Monk, portrayed by Tony Shalhoub, is a former homicide detective and a current consultant for the San Francisco Police Department. He has an extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder, and is well-known for his various fears and phobias, including, but certainly not limited to, heights, snakes, crowds, and milk. His wife, Trudy, was murdered in 1997, and he is haunted by her death (and the fact that it was unsolved) until he finally solves it in the series finale. He is the only character to appear in every single episode of the series.

Natalie Teeger, portrayed by Traylor Howard (seasons 3-8), is Monk's second and final assistant. She is significantly less forceful than Sharona, and always refers to Monk as "Mr. Monk." She and her daughter Julie live alone. Unlike Sharona, she dresses more primly, and is less inclined to assume a nonchalant attitude. Mitch, her late husband, was shot down over Kosovo in 1998. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Red Herring" (3.10). She is also the narrator of a series of novels based on Monk and written by Lee Goldberg. Captain Leland Francis Stottlemeyer, portrayed by Ted Levine, is the head of the Homicide Division of the San Francisco Police Department. He and Monk have been good friends since Monk was on the police force, and continues to be Monk's friend throughout the series. He does his best to help Monk, but is occasionally annoyed by Monk's phobias and the damage they can cause. Lieutenant Randy Disher, portrayed by Jason Gray-Stanford, is a lieutenant in the Homicide Division of the SFPD.

He is very naive, is often portrayed as unintelligent, and is known for his outrageous theories. The other characters are often irritated by him, but they also obviously care about him. In season 8, he is seen kissing Sharona. In the the series finale, he becomes chief of the Summit, New Jersey Police Department, where he lives with Sharona. Sharona Fleming, portrayed by Bitty Schram (seasons 1-3), is Monk's nurse, and later becomes his first assistant. She refuses to baby him, often forcing him to do things that are unpleasant to him, even going so far as to refer to her boss by his first name. Then, she suddenly re-marries her ex-husband and moves to New Jersey midway through the third season, leaving only a note. Her final appearance as a regular character was in "Mr. Monk Takes His Medicine" (3.09), because Bitty Schram quit the show (allegedly over contract disputes). However, she returned as a special guest star in the final season in "Mr. Monk and Sharona" (8.10), in order to give closure to her character.

Sharona claims that she and her now-twice ex-husband have separated for good. In this episode, she becomes romantically involved with Randy. By "Mr. Monk and the End (Part Two)" (8.16), it was revealed that she and Randy have moved to New Jersey together. Secondary characters Julie Teeger, portrayed by Emmy Clarke, is Natalie's teenage daughter. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Red Herring" (3.10) and last appeared in "Mr. Monk and the End - Part I" (8.15). Dr. Charles Kroger, portrayed by Stanley Kamel, is Monk's psychiatrist during the first six seasons of the show. On April 8, 2008, Stanley Kamel died of a heart attack in between production of seasons six and seven. His character was said to have died of a heart attack as well when Monk restarted in the season 7 episode "Mr. Monk Buys a House". The episode was dedicated to his memory. His last appearance was in "Mr. Monk Paints His Masterpiece" (6.14), although he was mentioned several times in "Mr. Monk Is On The Run".

Dr. Neven Bell, portrayed by Héctor Elizondo, is Monk's second psychiatrist. He first appeared in "Mr. Monk Buys a House" (7.01). Neven Bell was introduced in 2008 to replace Dr. Kroger after the death of Stanley Kamel. Trudy Anne Monk, portrayed by Stellina Rusich in the first and second seasons and Melora Hardin starting in the third season, is Monk's deceased wife. Her husband's attempt to solve her murder is the show's longest-running plot arc. Lindy Newton portrays Trudy in a college flashback in the season 5 episode "Mr. Monk and the Class Reunion" (5.06). Her murder was solved in "Mr. Monk and the End - Part II" (8.16). Kevin Dorfman, portrayed by Jarrad Paul, was an accountant and Monk's talkative upstairs neighbor. He first appeared in the season 2 episode "Mr. Monk and the Paperboy" (2.10). He was murdered by fellow magician Karl Torini in the season 7 episode "Mr. Monk and the Magician" (7.15).

Harold J. Krenshaw, portrayed by Tim Bagley, is Adrian's rival for much of the series, and another patient of Dr. Kroger. He and Monk have constant disputes, due to their incompatible obsessions. Harold first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Girl Who Cried Wolf" (3.06) when he and Monk bickered about the arrangement of magazines in Dr. Kroger's waiting room. After Dr. Kroger dies, Harold constantly tries to discover the identity of Monk's new therapist. He finally does uncover Dr. Bell's name in "Mr. Monk Fights City Hall" (7.16). In the episode "Mr. Monk Goes to Group Therapy" (8.08), Harold and Monk finally become friends by conquering claustrophobia together. Harold generously leaves the group at the end of the episode so that Monk can share private therapy with Dr. Bell. Benjamin "Benjy" Fleming, portrayed by Kane Ritchotte during the pilot episode and second and third seasons and Max Morrow during the first season, is Sharona's son. His last appearance was in the season three episode "Mr.

Monk and the Employee of the Month" (3.07), though he was mentioned several times in the eighth season episode "Mr. Monk and Sharona" (8.10) and also appeared in the novel Mr. Monk and the Two Assistants by Lee Goldberg. Ambrose Monk, portrayed by John Turturro, is Adrian's agoraphobic brother. He is based on Mycroft Holmes. He first appeared in the season 2 episode "Mr. Monk and the Three Pies", (2.11) for which John Turturro won an Emmy for his performance. Jack Monk, portrayed by Dan Hedaya, is the father of Adrian and Ambrose. He abandoned the family when Adrian and Ambrose were young (having left for Chinese food and never came back) and started another family. He appeared only in the season 5 episode "Mr. Monk Meets His Dad" (5.09). Jack Monk Jr., portrayed by Steve Zahn, is the other son of Jack Monk, Adrian's half brother and a known convict. He appeared only in the season 7 episode "Mr. Monk's Other Brother" (7.10).

Dale "the Whale" Biederbeck, portrayed by Adam Arkin in the first season, Tim Curry in the second season, and Ray Porter in the sixth season, is Adrian Monk's archenemy and most hated rival. A wealthy and morbidly obese financier whom Adrian blames for ruining one of the last years of Trudy's life. Just as Adrian Monk is compared to Sherlock Holmes, it's possible that Dale Biederbeck, the "Genghis Khan of World Finance", is compared to Professor Moriarty, the Napoleon of Crime. He first appeared in "Mr. Monk Meets Dale the Whale" (1.03), at the end of which Monk sends him to prison for a murder-for-hire. Biederbeck later appears funneling information to Monk about Trudy's murder in "Mr. Monk Goes to Jail" (2.16) and "Mr. Monk Is On the Run (Part Two)" (6.16). At the end of this episode Dale "The Whale" Biederbeck loses his pocket politician, the Lieutenant Governor, during a failed conspiracy to assassinate the Governor. He is left destitute and powerless for the remainder of his sentence.

Karen Stottlemeyer, portrayed by Glenne Headly, was Leland Stottlemeyer's wife from the beginning of the series until their divorce in "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Marriage" (4.12). It was later revealed in the season 8 episode "Mr. Monk is the Best Man" (8.13) that she was actually Leland's second wife. She is a filmmaker who specializes in documentaries. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk and the Very, Very Old Man" (2.05) and later in "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Wife" (2.14) (in which she was in a vehicle accident caused by a sniper), "Mr. Monk Gets Fired" (3.04), and "Mr. Monk and the Captain's Marriage" (4.12). Linda Fusco, portrayed by Sharon Lawrence, was Captain Stottlemeyer's girlfriend in season six. She first appeared in "Mr. Monk, Private Eye" (5.05) and later in "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" (6.01).

Monk and Natalie proved her to be a murderer in "Mr. Monk and the Bad Girlfriend" (6.04). Trudy "T. K." Jensen Stottlemeyer, portrayed by Virginia Madsen, is Captain Stottlemeyer's love interest in season eight. She is a freelance journalist, first appeared in "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk" (8.09) and marries Stottlemeyer in "Mr. Monk is the Best Man" (8.13) after a brief reconsideration. She made a brief cameo appearance in the series finale, "Mr. Monk and the End - Part II" (8.16). Episode formatting Edit Block Title Much like novels in a series about a starring detective, most episodes have titles in the form of "Mr. Monk and (a person or thing)", e.g. "Mr. Monk and the Bad Girlfriend", "Mr. Monk (does something)", e.g. "Mr. Monk Goes to the Circus", "Mr. Monk (is something)", e.g. "Mr. Monk Is On The Run", or "Mr. Monk Gets (something)", e.g. "Mr.

Monk Gets Hypnotized". In the episode "Mr. Monk and His Biggest Fan" it is shown that Marci Maven (Sarah Silverman) is referring directly to cases in the show by the titles of the episodes indicating that she is the one creating the various episode titles when writing on her fansite for Monk. While solving a murder is the main plot for most episodes, there are a few episodes in which Monk helps investigate other crimes, such as kidnappings in the season two episode "Mr. Monk and the Missing Granny" and the season three episode "Mr. Monk and the Kid," or a failed murder plot in the season six episode "Mr. Monk and the Daredevil." There are a number of times where the episode is not about the murder itself but about finding evidence to arrest the killer, e.g. "Mr. Monk Goes to a Rock Concert," or "Mr. Monk and the Genius," and episodes where the murder is related to the main plot, e.g. in "Mr. Monk on Wheels." Some episodes actually start as a totally different type of case, but eventually a murder happens, e.g. a suspected abduction turns into a murder case in "Mr.

Monk Gets Hypnotized." In season seven, in the 100th episode, Mr. Monk solved his 100th (and 101st) case since his wife's death, a milestone in his career. Episodes about a murder generally follow one of four basic plot outlines: The killer is known, and how they committed the crime is known. The episode is spent trying to find evidence to arrest that person. Monk knows who the killer is, and knows what their motive is, but the killer has a seemingly air-tight alibi. The episode is spent trying to break that alibi and find out how the killer did it. In a number of episodes, the plot involves trying to find out both the killer, how they did it, and why they did it. In some episodes, the killer's M.O. is known, but who did it and why is not. "Here's What Happened" segments Most episodes feature a sequence in which Monk reveals how the crime was committed, almost always prefacing his explanation with the words "Here's what happened." Most of these sequences are featured near the end of the episode, but have been known to occur at the beginning ("Mr.

Monk Takes the Stand") or towards the middle. Some of these sequences are told in an unusual fashion, such as being told to a bear ("Mr. Monk Goes Camping"), in the form of a bedtime story ("Mr. Monk and the Kid"), being chanted during a ritual at a monastery ("Mr. Monk and the Miracle"), being told by someone other than Monk (by Sharona in "Mr. Monk Goes To Jail", by Natalie in "Mr. Monk and the Birds and the Bees" and by Disher in "Mr. Monk Visits a Farm"), and being rapped out by a rapper (guest star Snoop Dogg in "Mr. Monk and the Rapper"). Harold Krenshaw gives a fictitious summation about Monk in ("Mr. Monk Goes to Group Therapy"). Monk states a summation twice, in flashback and in present, in "Mr. Monk and Little Monk" as himself and as young Monk. In at least two episodes ("Mr. Monk and the Garbage Strike" and "Mr.

Monk and the Lady Next Door"), Monk gives multiple versions of the same summation, but all except for the last one are false as a result of him being unable to concentrate. There are only a few episodes that do not contain a summation. The first episode not to feature a summation was the season 3 episode "Mr. Monk and the Blackout". Production Edit Block According to an interview with executive producer David Hoberman,ABC first conceived the series as a police show with an Inspector Clouseau-like character suffering from obsessive–compulsive disorder. Hoberman said ABC wanted Michael Richards for the show, but Richards turned it down. Hoberman brought in Andy Breckman as creator, and Breckman, inspired by Sherlock Holmes, introduced Dr. Kroger as a Doctor Watson-like character as and an Inspector Lestrade-like character which eventually became Captain Stottlemeyer. Although ABC originated the show, the network handed it off to the USA Network. USA is now owned by NBC (NBC Universal).Monk was the first ABC Studios-produced show aired on USA Network instead of ABC.

Although ABC initially refused Monk, they did air repeats of the show on ABC in the summer and fall of 2002, and then again in the spring of 2004. On January 12, 2006, USA Network announced that Monk had been picked up through at least season six as one of the "highest-rated series in cable history." Season 5 premiered Friday, July 7, 2006, at 9:00 p.m. Eastern time. This marked the first time change for the program, which aired at 10:00 p.m. during its first four seasons. The change allowed the show to work as a lead-in to a new USA Network series, Psych, another offbeat detective program. Monk has followed a consistent format of airing half of its 16 episodes in mid-year and the second half early the following year, with the exception of the first season, which broadcast entirely from July 2002 through October 2002, and the final season, which broadcast entirely between August and December 2009. Previously aired episodes of Monk began airing on NBC Universal sibling network NBC April 6, 2008.

NBC eyed the show because its block with Psych could be plugged into NBC's schedule intact. The shows were being used to increase the amount of scripted programming on the network as production of its own scripted programming ramped back up following the writers' strike. Ratings for the broadcast debut were well below NBC averages for the time period. The show came in third behind Big Brother 9 on CBS and Oprah's Big Give on ABC. Location Although set in the San Francisco Bay Area, Monk is for the most part shot elsewhere except for occasional exteriors featuring city landmarks. The pilot episode was shot in Vancouver, British Columbia, and the subsequent Season 1 episodes were shot in the Toronto, Ontario, area. Most of the episodes from Season 2 through Season 6 were filmed in the Los Angeles, California, area, including on-stage at Ren-Mar Studios for seasons 2–5 and at Paramount Studios for season 6. These include Monk’s apartment, Stottlemeyer's precinct house, Dr. Kroger’s office and Natalie’s house. Many scenes in Season 4 were shot in San Francisco, in downtown Union Square and Chinatown, as shown in "Mr.

Monk Gets Jury Duty," when Stottlemeyer and Disher are chasing Miguel Escobar up Jackson Street. Theme music During the first season of Monk, the series used a jazzy instrumental intro to the show by songwriter Jeff Beal, performed by guitarist Grant Geissman. The theme won the 2003 Emmy Award for Best Main Title Music. NYC actor Colter Rule was hired by USA Network to do all radio and TV promos for the series from its inception, lending an ironic, understated tone which contributed to the show's early popularity. The original tag was "Monk ! America's Favorite Defective Detective !" When the second season began, the series received a new theme song, entitled "It's a Jungle out There", by Randy Newman. Reaction to the new theme was mixed. A review of the second season of Monk in the New York Daily News included a wish that producers would revert to the original theme. Shalhoub expressed his support for the new theme in USA Today, saying its "dark and mournful sound,...[its] tongue-in-cheek, darkly humorous side....

completely fits the tone of the show." Newman was awarded the 2004 Emmy Award for Best Main Title Music for "It's a Jungle out There". As a self-referential to the show controversy, the episode "Mr. Monk and the TV Star" revolves around Monk suspecting Brad Terry, an actor who plays a special agent named Rusty Clark in the TV show Crime Lab S.F., of murdering his ex-wife to avoid sharing his paychecks with her. Throughout the episode, several characters like Sharona and Terry mention a controversy over the change of that show's theme music, including obsessed fan Marci Maven, played by Sarah Silverman. In the epilogue of the story, Marci implores Monk to promise her that he will never change the theme music if he ever gets his own show. When Monk agrees to the promise (only so he can go back to bed), the original music is heard as the scene fades to credits, and it plays through the credits. The original theme is heard in the season 3 episode "Mr. Monk and the Game Show" as Monk drives to Los Angeles with his neighbor and father-in-law.

It is also heard in several other episodes as the show enters the credits and then kicks into the new theme's instrumental. Disher plays it on a piano in "Mr. Monk and the Leper". For the season 6 episode "Mr. Monk and the Rapper," guest star Snoop Dogg performed a hip-hop version of "It's a Jungle out There," and playing the role of Murderuss, a rapper accused of murdering his rival Extra Large, he accompanies Monk with the "Here's What Happened" in rap form. The June 16, 2008, re-airing of the first episode featured a new credit sequence with the Newman theme. The season 8 episode "Happy Birthday, Mr. Monk" features a slower version of the original theme with a muted trumpet playing the melody while Monk dances with his new self-cleaning vacuum cleaner. Randy Newman also wrote a new song for the final episode entitled "When I'm Gone." The song was released on iTunes on December 1, 2009 and won the 2010 Emmy Award for Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics. For a few episodes where Trudy is featured, a somber but pleasant ending theme was used.

The ending theme is last used in Mr. Monk vs. the Cobra when in a dream Trudy urges Monk to let go, and close her long unoccupied office, and in turn use the finances to give Natalie a much needed raise. Little Monk Edit Block USA Network premiered a 10-episode online series entitled "Little Monk" on August 22, 2009. It includes Adrian Monk and Ambrose Monk during their middle-school years, bringing a back story to Monk's detective skills and phobias. However, as they would have been middle schoolers in the late 1960s and early 1970s, viewers will see anachronisms; the various cars seen in the episodes, as well as some of the clothes, do not belong to the period. Other media The show's soundtrack features its original music score, composed by Jeff Beal. Podcast A "behind the scenes" audio podcast entitled "Lunch at Monk" is available for download through the USA website. In the podcast, cast and crew members of the show are interviewed over lunch.

Novel series Since 2006, during the airing of season 4, Lee Goldberg has produced a series of novels based on the original television series. All of the novels are narrated by Natalie Teeger, Monk's second assistant. For the most part, the novels remain faithful to the television series, with slight discontinuity. Two of the novels were later adapted into regular episodes. Title Edit Block Universal Studios Home Entertainment has released all 8 seasons of Monk on DVD in Region 1. In Region 2 & 4, they have released the first seven seasons. On October 5, 2010, Universal released Monk- The Complete Series: Limited edition boxset on DVD in Region 1. A 32-disc set featuring all 8 seasons of the series as well as special features and a collectible 32-page booklet. Monk episodes from seasons 1–8 are also available on iTunes. All seasons are also available in HD format. It should be noted that the Region 2 DVDs of seasons 1–3 are in the 4:3 aspect ratio.

DVD Name Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2003, 2005, 2006) Outstanding Main Title Theme Music Jeff Beal (2003) Outstanding Main Title Theme Music Randy Newman (2004) Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series John Turturro (2004) Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series Stanley Tucci (2007) Outstanding Original Music and Lyrics Randy Newman (2010) Golden Globe Awards: Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Tony Shalhoub (2003) Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2004, 2005) Award nominations Emmy Awards: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2003–2010) 8 nominations Outstanding Casting for a Comedy Series Anya Colloff, Amy McIntyre Britt, Meg Liberman, Camille H. Patton, Sandi Logan, Lonnie Hamerman (2004) Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series for "Mr.

Monk Takes His Medicine" Randall Zisk (2005) Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Laurie Metcalf (2006) Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Sarah Silverman (2008) Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series Gena Rowlands (2009) Golden Globe Awards: Best Television Series – Musical or Comedy (2004) Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Tony Shalhoub (2003–2005, 2007, 2009) 5 nominations Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series – Musical or Comedy Bitty Schram (2004) Screen Actors Guild: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Comedy Series Tony Shalhoub (2003–2005, 2007–2010) 7 nominations Broadcasters

Question: Which American comedy-drama detective television series broadcast between 2002 and 2009 starred Tony Shalhoub as the title character, a private detective
Answer: 'MONK'